Method of making pocketbooks or hand bags



Jan. 1, 1 24 1,479,591

C. L ENFANT METHOD or MAKING POCKETBOOKSIOR' HAND'BAGS Filed June 29, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M FLT/foamy Jan. 1, 1924 C. LENFANT METHOD OF MAKING POCKETBOOKS 0R HAND BAGS Filed June 29. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

UNHTELQ PATENT caries.

CHARLES LTENFANT, OF YORK, N. Y.

Application filed June 29, 1822. Serial No. 571,744.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES LENFANT,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the borough of the Bronx, county and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Pocketbooks or Hand Bags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of making pocket-books or handbags of that type designed particularly for ladies use.

In the present state of this art, the several operations which are successively performed in producing the body of the pocketbook or hand-bag are quite laborious and time-consuming so that the daily output of each workman is relatively small. It is the primary object and purpose of my present invention to provide a new method having particular reference to the manner of making the body of a multiple compartment bag or receptacle of the character above referred to whereby the daily output or production of each workman may be materially increased, waste of materials reduced to a minimum and a perfect article produced without necessitating the exercise of a high degree of skill upon the part of the workman. It will be manifest that as a result of the attainment of these ends, the hand bag or receptacle can be produced and sold at considerablv less cost than is possible manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the several steps or operations constituting-the new method, as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein l have illustrated several satisfactory embodiments of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figures 1 and-2 illustrate in perspective the receptacle or hand-bag open and closed respectively which is produced by means of the present invention; I

Figure 3 illustrates the essential step of with the use of the present methods of the new method which consists in sewing the inner and outer sections of the body together at their marginal edges;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the body sections reversed after sewing;

Figure 5 is a plan view; 7

Figure 6 is a similar view of the padded reinforcement which is inserted between the nner and outer sections of the body;

Figure 7 is a horizontal s'ection'through the completed body with the reinforcement therein;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the partition member; I

Figure 9 is a plan view thereof; Figure 10 is a view similar to Fig. 5 llustrating a slightly modified form of the lnvention;

Figure 11 is a plan view of the reinforcement members used in connection with the construction shown in Fig. 10, and

Figures 12 and 18 illustrate anotheralternative embodiment of the invention In the manufacture of ladies" hand-bags and the like, largely of fabric construction, it has heretofore been the practice to first secure upon one side of the outer body sheet and the inner lining sheet, a sheet of cotton or other cheaper fabric by means of a suitable adhesive. A paper reinforcing sheet upon one side of which cotton padding is arranged is then placed on the inner side of the outer body sheet and the edges of the body sheet turned over the edges of the paper reinforcement and adhesively secured thereon. Finally, the inner lining for the bag is placed over the reinforcing paper sheet and secured by paste or an adhesive thereon. It will be obvious that great exactness must be observed in positioning the. lining for the bag and securing the same in place in order thata smoothly finished construction will result when the partition member is assembled upon said body and the end portions of the body folded and connected to said partition member. I have succeeded in minimizing manual labor incident to the making of such bags'or receptacles and greatly expediting the production by proceeding in the following manner.

I first secure to the sides of the outer body sheet 5 and of the inner lining sheet 6 a reinforcing sheet of cotton or other fabric 7 and 8 respectively by the use of a suitable adhesive. The outer and inner sheets are then arranged with their right sides opposed and are stitched by machine around their marginal edges, as shown at 9. However, in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings the stitching is not continued around the entire marginal edge but one side portion remains open as at 10. The outer body sheet and the lining sheet are now reversed or turned inside-out through this opening as will be seen from a comparison of Figs. 3 and i of the drawings so that the line of stitching 9 is completely concealed.

The reinforcing member shown in Fig. 6 is now inserted between the outer body section and the inner lining section. This reinforcement preferably consists of a. sheet of cardboard 11 uponone side of which a sheet of fabric 12 is adhesively secured across the central portion of the cardboard sheet, as indicated at 18 in liig. "7. Between the free portions of the fabric and the cardboard raw cotton or'other suitable padding material 14 is placed and the edges of the fabric sheet then turned over the edges of the cardboard and adhesively secured to the opposite face thereof 'as 15. At the side edges of the secured section 13 of the fabric sheet the cardboard is scored along the parallel lines16 thereby providing a relatively narrow central portion 17 and the wider end portions 18 which may be bent or folded along the score lines 16 to an angular position with relation to said central portion. This padded reinforcement provides base and side portions for the bag or receptacle which arerelatively stiff or rigid while the end portions 19 thereof are not reinforced and are, therefore, relatively flexible. After the reinforcement has been inserted between the outer body section and the lining section, the opening 10 may be closed by stitching these two sections along the remaining por tions of their marginal edges to each other. In some instances, as when metal trimming is used this will not be necessary as the opening may be securely closed by the trimming. V

The next operation. is to secure the partition member in place. This member may be constructed from cardboard or other flexible material covered by linen or other fabric and includes a base portion 20 and end portions or wings 21 which are bend able with respect to the base portion 20 along the score lines indicated at 22 in Fig. 9. The basejportion is positioned upon the lining section and adhesively'secured thereto over the narrow central section of the padded reinforcement which is'disposed between the lining section and the outer body section of the bag. The opposite side por tions of the body and the two wings 21 of the partition member are now arranged in suitable angular positions with respect to each other and the end portions 19 of the bag body are folded inwardly and secured at spaced pointsto the end edges of the partition wings 21. An adhesive or other suitable means may be employed for this purpose.

To one side portion of the bag body a closure flap 23 is suitably secured at one of its ends and is-provided at its other end with a suitable fastener element to engage a complementary fastener element on the opposite side of the bag body. It will. be understood, however, that this constitutes no essential part of my present invention as any suitable closure means may be provided and to the opposite ends of the ba suitable handle strap might also be secured.

7 From the above description, it will be apparent that the several parts constituting the body of the bag can be very easily and quickly assembled. The prepared'padded reinforcement may be readily inserted and positioned between the inner and outer sec tions of the body structure sothat no spe cial skill and exactness is required in order to insure a properly finished product.

In Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings T have shown another method whicn may be used, wherein the inner and outer sections are stitched together around their entire marginal edges. The inner lining section provided with a central longitudinal cut or slit 2% of a length corresponding .to the length of the finished bag. In this case the reinforcements may consist of two separate .members 25 which are inserted from opposite directions through the slit 24 and arranged between the opposite side portions of the inner and outer sections of the bag. An adhesive may then be applied along the. inner side of the lining section at the edges of the slit 24 and said edges secured to the reinforcing sections 25. The partition member is then applied in the manner above. de scribed, the base part 20 thereof extending over the central slit 24 in the lining.

Figures 12 and 18 illustrate another alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the end portions 19 of the bag body are of somewhat different shape. in

this constructionthe body likewise consists of the inner and outer sections stitched to each other entirel around their. marginal edges and instead of arranging the padded reinforcement between the inner and outer padded sections, said reinforcement corresponding to that shown in 6 of the drawings, is arranged upon the central part of the lining section and is secured at its opposite ends to the bag body along the marginal side edges thereof by means of the lines of stitching 26. The opposite side po tions of the bag body -1nay- ,then be folded upwardly as indicated in Fig, 13. and the portions extending beyond the ends of the reinforcement folded upwardly and inwardly. It will of course be understood that in this case also the partition member shown in Fig. 8 will be employed.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, my improved method and the advantages incident thereto in the manufacture of bags or receptacles of this character will be clearly understood. I have found in practice that I am able to very largely in-' crease the quantity production of such arti cles, while eliminating waste of materials and therefore, reducing the selling cost to a minimum. While I have illustrated in the drawings structures of several difierent forms, it will be apparent that the same method may also be utilized in connection with bags of numerous different shapes or sizes. I also consider it as within the scope of my invention to omit the partition member 21 if desired, and form a single compartment bag or receptacle, since the essential and fundamental feature of my new method resides in the manner of applying the reinforcement to the body walls of the bag. Accordingly, it is to be understood that while I have herein referred to several desirable and preferable embodiments of my improved method, the same might nevertheless be carried out in practice in other alternative ways, and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. The method of making pocket-books and the like which consists in first securing an inner lining sheet upon an outer sheet of flexible material to form a body blank and then inserting a reinforcing member between the intermediate sections of said outer sheet and the lining sheet of the blank to render the portions thereof forming the outer side walls of the pocket-book relatively rigid, then folding the opposite reinforced portions of the blank towards each other, and subsequently folding the end portions of the blank inwardly-between said reinforced portions.

2. The method of making pocket-books and the like, which consists in securing an inner lining sheet upon an outer sheet of flexible material by stitching said sheets together partially around their marginal edges to leave an opening at one side of the body blank thus formed, then inserting a foldable reinforcing member through said opening between the intermediate portions of the outer sheet and the lin ng h et to render the-portions of the blank forming the outer side and base walls of the pocketbook relatively rigid, then closing saidopening, then folding the opposite reinforced portions-of the blank towards each other, and subsequently folding the end portions of the blank inwardlybetween said reinforced portions.

3. The method of making pocketbooks and the like which consists in first constructing a body blank of flexible material and then applying a reinforcing member to the intermediate section of said blank to render the portions thereof forming the outer side walls of the pocket-book relatively rigid, then positioning a partition member upon the lining sheet of the blank over the reinforced portion and securing the central portion of said member extending. longitudinally of the blank to said lining sheet, and finally disposing the reinforced side portions of the blank and the unattached portions of said partition member in angular relation to each other and folding the relatively flexible end portions of the blank inwardly and securing said end portions at spaced points to the end edges of said movable portions of the partition member.

4. The method of making pocket-books and the like, which consists in first securing an inner lining sheet upon an outer sheet of flexible material to form a body blank and then inserting a reinforcing member between the intermediate sections of said outer sheet and the lining sheet. of the blank to render the portions thereof forming the outer side walls of the pocket-book relativel rigid, then positioning a partition member upon the lining sheet of the blank over the reinforced portion and securing the central portion of said member extending longitudinally of the blank to said lining sheet, and finally disposing the reinforced side portions of the blank and the unattached portions of said partition member in angular relation to each other and folding the relatively flexible end portions of the blank inwardly and securing said end portions at spaced points to the end edges of said movable portions of the partition member.

5. The method of making pocket-books and the like, which consists in securing an inner lining sheet upon an outer sheet of fiexible'material by stitching said sheets together partially around their marginal edges to leave an opening at one side of the body blank thus formed, then inserting a foldable reinforcing member through said opening between the intermediate portions of the outer sheet and the lining sheet to render the portions of the blank forming the outer side and base walls of the pocketbook relatively rigid, then closing said opening, and then positioning a partition member upon the lining sheet of the blank over the reinforced portion and securing the cenrelatively flexible end portions of the blank tral portion of said member extending longiinwardly and securing said end portions at tudinally of the blank to said lining sheet, spaced points to the end edges of said inovand finally disposing the reinforced side able portions of the partition member.

5 portions of the blank and 'the unattached In testimony that I claim the foregoing portions of said partition member in angw as my invention, I have signed my name.

lar relation to each other and folding the CHARLES LENF ANT. 

